Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ in a Minute
Episode Archive

Episode #155 | Original Air Date: October 2, 2020

 Related Resources

• Ask IFAS: Natural Enemies and Biological Control
• Beneficial Insects
• Gardening Solutions: Beneficial Insects: Lacewings and Ladybugs

Transcript

Gardeners don’t like finding pest insects in their gardens. The good news is that specific types of beneficial insects can help keep them in check.

Predatory insects are beneficial because they feed directly on aphids and other pest insects. Common predatory insects include lacewings, lady beetles, and praying mantids.

Parasites are another type of beneficial insect. Most parasites are wasps or flies. They lay eggs either in or on the body of their specific host insects. In some cases as larvae develop, they consume their hosts.

So if you choose to use pesticides, be sure to do so responsibly. You don’t want to cause these beneficial insects any harm.

Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ in a Minute is a production of the University of Florida’s Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Program, IFAS Extension, and WUFT-FM in cooperation with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.